Chapter Nine
Metronome: a device used by musicians that keeps time at a selected rate by giving a regular tick or beep
Damian
I don’t think I’ve had as much fun in college as I have since I started dating Charlie. Since finding her in the recital hall and taking her out for pancakes, we’ve spent time together every evening. Dinner, even if it’s just something on campus. There’s a piano player in the cafeteria who plays popular songs from the radio and old standards that she likes to listen to, but on certain songs she gets really quiet. We still play together in the practice rooms for a while before or after we do our own practice sessions. Homework together at my house or hers. We talk, we laugh, we kiss. Man, do we ever kiss.
There have been a few times where I considered taking it beyond kissing. When Charlie’s hands slipped under my shirt, encouraging me to take it off, when she climbed in my lap and started grinding on me. When she stripped off her own shirt, her nipples hardening into points beneath the lace of her bra when she pushed her chest against mine. When I tugged the lace aside and sucked her nipple into my mouth, leaving her writhing and panting.
I was so close. So close to shoving my hand down her pants and making her come. Then stripping her bare and sinking inside her.
But I haven’t. Not yet.
God, I want to.
But we’re not there. No one’s said the L word. Or even alluded to it. It’s too soon. Only a few weeks have gone by.
And now we’re going to my mom’s birthday party. My little sister Carla called me last week to badger me about the fact that I haven’t been at Sunday dinners in over a month and to make sure that I was coming to Mom’s party. They’re all dying to meet Charlie, and I knew if I’d gone to Sunday dinner without her, I wouldn’t hear the end of it. “I can’t believe you introduced her to Tío Marco and Martina, but you haven’t brought her by to meet your sister and parents,” she said.
I rolled my eyes at that. “I’m sorry, Carlita. I’ll bring her to Mom’s birthday, and you’ll meet her then.”
She sniffed, just like Mom does. “Fine. I guess that’ll have to do.” Acting like she was my disapproving grandmother and not my seventeen-year-old little sister.
Maybe a birthday party is more of a high pressure meet-the-family situation than I thought, though. Because Charlie’s huddled against the side of my car, staring out her window the whole way, and she keeps fiddling with the zipper on her purse. I’m a little worried, because her behavior is completely unlike her. Normally she’s all smile and sparkle, dazzling me and making me laugh.
I reach over and run the back of my hand down her arm at a stoplight, hoping she’ll let me hold her hand. “Hey. Are you okay?”
She looks at me and gives me a pained smile. “I’m fine. I’m just … I’ve never done anything like this before.”
She finally uncrosses her arms and lets me thread my fingers through hers. I bring her hand to my lips and brush a kiss across her knuckles before the light turns green. “You’ll be fine. My family’s curious about you, but since I like you, they’re excited. Not waiting to judge you and decide you’re not good enough for me or something.”
“Great.” She gives a weak laugh. “Now I’m even more worried they’ll hate me.”
I give her a smile. “Just be yourself. You’ll charm them just like you did me.”
She sucks in a breath and opens her mouth, but closes it again, and swallows hard. “Okay. Sure. I can do that.”
I squeeze her hand. “Of course you can. I promise, everything will be fine. They’ll love you as much as …” I trail off and clear my throat, realizing what I was about to say without even thinking. They’ll love you as much as I do. “They’ll love you,” I finally say.
Charlie’s gaze is a palpable thing, even as I deliberately keep my eyes facing out the windshield, not daring to look at her.
After several minutes where I almost pass out from holding my breath, she says, “Thanks.”
At that I glance at her with another smile. “Sure.” I swallow convulsively as I park in front of my parents’ house, then quietly say the words that come into my head. “You’re easy to fall for.”
She holds my eyes for a beat. “So are you,” she whispers back.
My breath catches, and time freezes for a second as we stare at each other. It’s not a full confession. But it’s close.
She smiles and looks away, taking in the house and the other cars parked outside. “Are your siblings all going to be here too?”
“Yeah. My older sister and her new husband. I think my brother might be bringing someone. Plus my parents and my little sister. It’s the whole crew.”
“Well, at least I’ll get it over with all at once.”
I reach for her hand again, drawing her attention to me once more. “It’s the last hurdle. At least on your side. You’ve met my roommates. Now my family. I already knew your roommate, so I started one step ahead. You’ll have to introduce me to your family when we have the chance.”
I regret that flippant statement as soon as it’s out of my mouth. Her face closes down, and that brittle smile I’ve grown to hate comes out. “If we ever get the chance, I mean. I know you aren’t on the best terms with your parents, but if we’re ever in the same city, I’d go with you to see them. For moral support, if no other reason.”
The brittle smile melts, and her face softens, her eyes warming and losing the flinty quality they get when something triggers her shield. “I know. Thank you. And if we are ever in the same city, I’d definitely take you to meet them.” She gives me a bright smile. It’s not the same as the brittle one she wore a second ago, but it still looks less than genuine. “Let’s go meet your family. They know we’re here anyway. Someone’s peeking through the front window.”
I look at the house, and sure enough, Carla’s face is poking up from the couch that sits in front of the window. “That’s my little sister. You’ll like her. Come on.”
Charlie climbs out her door and waits for me to come around to her side, taking her hand and leading the way up the walkway. Before we even get to the door, it opens for us, a ring of curious faces waiting inside.
“Damián!” my mom says, throwing her arms around me and pulling me down so she can kiss my cheek. “I’m glad you could finally make it.” When she releases me, she looks Charlie up and down. “Now introduce us to your friend.”